Jake's Super Mario Kart
'' (2017) |released=Q4 2018 - Q1 2019 |genre=Kart racing |modes=1-4 players locally, 1-8 players via wireless network connection, 1-12 players via online connection |ratings=E for Everyone (ESRB) 3 (PEGI) A (CERO) |platforms=Nintendo Switch |media=Nintendo Switch Cartridge }} Mario Kart 9 (Japanese: マリオカート9 Mario Kāto 9) is the ninth main instalment of the Mario Kart series. It was developed by Nintendo EPD and Existence Software for exclusive release on the Nintendo Switch. The game is the successor to 2017's , and several assets are taken directly from this game. Unlike other recent Mario Kart titles, Mario Kart 9 does not introduce any new gimmicks that factor into the design of the courses, though underwater, gliding, and zero gravity segments return. Much more emphasis has been placed on item usage, and the amount of items present in the game has been substantially increased from Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, with three items not present in it returning from past games in addition to seven brand new ones. The Battle Mode from Mario Kart 8 Deluxe also returns, as does the Mission Mode from Mario Kart DS. Gameplay Maintaining most elements from previous Mario Kart games, Mario Kart 9 is a kart-racing video game with a heavy emphasis on using items to hinder opposing racers. Players pick a character, which is placed in one of six different weight classes that determine the base stats of the character's vehicle. Players are then able to mix-and-match different customization pieces in order to create their vehicle, which they will then use to race around various obstacle course-like racetracks in an attempt to place first out of twelve other racers. Players receive different amounts of points depending on their position at the end of the race; with the winner of the Grand Prix determined by the one with the most points overall. For the first time in the series, Mario Kart 9 features 15 racers, as opposed to the 12 of Mario Kart Wii and Mario Kart 8 or the 8 of all other titles in the series. During a race, racers can drive through Item Boxes to be granted an item through a roulette. As previously stated, these items are the main focus of a race, as using them may hinder other racers and/or aid the player. These items vary in usefulness depending on the distance from the current frontrunner; with racers closer to the frontrunner receiving less-powerful items (i.e. Banana Peels or Green Shells), while racers furthest from the frontrunner receiving the most powerful items in the game (i.e. Spiny Shell and Lightning). A mechanic that returns from previous instalments is the ability to carry up to two items at once, though Mario Kart 9 allows racers to carry two without needing to hold one behind their kart. With the ability to hold up to two items, racers can switch between the two of them at will. All four vehicle classes from Mario Kart 8 return in Mario Kart 9, these being the kart, inside-drifting bike, outside-drifting bike, and ATV. As with its predecessor, the bikes of Mario Kart 9 handle much differently from their Mario Kart Wii counterparts, instead handling very similarly to the karts and only performing wheelies - now purely aesthetic - when boosting. Grand Prix Racecourses Time Trial Time Trial returns from previous instalments of the series. Just as in previous entries in the series, Time Trial mode sees players testing their skills out on a racecourse by racing against no CPUs with no items available to them besides three Mushrooms. The aim is to complete a race in as little time as possible, utilizing shortcuts and mini-turbos to shave as much time off of the timer to earn a better score. Players can also test their skills out by racing against Staff Ghosts - ghosts based off Time Trial attempts of staff members who worked on the game - or they could save their own attempts or download those of other players. Staff Ghosts VS. Race Battle Mode Battle Courses Mission Mode Mission Mode returns in Mario Kart 9, having last been seen in Mario Kart DS. There are 40 new missions in the game, and feature a variety of different challenges on several different courses. The mode also incorporates elements from the online tournaments of Mario Kart Wii; such as modifying certain battle courses into race courses or pitting players against CPU racers with unique abilities. Mission Mode is not unlocked by default: 5 missions are unlocked each time the player completes a cup for the first time in any engine class. That means the player must complete each cup at least once in order to unlock all missions. Every ten missions (Missions 10, 20, 30, and 40) is a boss battle, where players are pitted against unique foes that do not appear anywhere else in the game. All boss battle missions take place in large octagonal rooms each with their own unique appearances and gimmicks that match the boss that is fought. Missions 5, 15, 25, and 35 are mini-boss battle missions, and, once completed, will unlock the miniboss for use in other modes as a playable racer. These boss battle missions are highlighted with blue backgrounds in the table below. Characters Playable Characters Characters are broken up into six weight classes, with their stats being changed to further categorize them. There are , , and racers, which are further divided into , , , , , and weight classes. Default characters Mario - Mario Party 10.png|'Mario' Luigi - Mario Party 10.png|'Luigi' Peach - Mario Party 10.png|'Peach' Daisy MK7.png|'Daisy' Rosalina MK7.png|'Rosalina' Toad - Mario Party 10.png|'Toad' Toadette - Mario Party 10.png|'Toadette' Toadsworth2.png|'Toadsworth' NEW DRIVER Bowser - Mario Party 10.png|'Bowser' Bowserjr MP9.png|'Bowser Jr.' SM3DL Boom Boom Solo Art.png|'Boom Boom' NEW DRIVER DK Strong.png|'Donkey Kong' DiddyKongReturns.png|'Diddy Kong' Yoshi Artwork - Mario Party Island Tour.png|'Yoshi' Birdo MP7.png|'Birdo' Kamek Suprised.png|'Magikoopa' NEW DRIVER Babymariositting.png|'Baby Mario' BabyLuigibeinghimself.PNG|'Baby Luigi' Baby Peach.png|'Baby Peach' Baby Daisy.png|'Baby Daisy' KoopaTroopaMP9.png|'Koopa Troopa' ParatroopartSMR.png|'Paratroopa' Cloudless Lakitu.png|'Lakitu' Hammer Bro. Party 8.png|'Hammer Bro.' NEW DRIVER Dry Bones MPSR.png|'Dry Bones' ShyGuy.PNG|'Shy Guy' Wiggler MK7.png|'Wiggler' WarioMP7.png|'Wario' Mario Party - Island Tour Waluigi Artwork.png|'Waluigi' Mario Party Star Rush King Boo.png|'King Boo' Peepa MPSR.png|'Peepa' NEW DRIVER MetalMarioMK7Solo.png|'Metal Mario' MiiIconMK8.png|'Mii' VARIES Unlockable characters Tanooki Mario SM3DW.png|'Tanooki Mario' Cat Peach.png|'Cat Peach' PDSMBE-PenguinLuigi.png|'Penguin Luigi' NEW DRIVER Pink Gold Peach MK8.png|'Pink Gold Peach' DRYBONESBOWSER.PNG|'Dry Bowser' Lemmy Koopa 3D standalone.png|'Lemmy' NSMBULarry.png|'Larry' Wendy O. Koopa Artwork.png|'Wendy' IggyNSMBU.png|'Iggy' Ludwig Von Koopa 3D.png|'Ludwig' Roy Koopa.png|'Roy' MortonNSMBU.png|'Morton' SMORabbit1.png|'TBA' NEW DRIVER SMORabbit2.png|'TBA' NEW DRIVER SMORabbit3.png|'TBA' NEW DRIVER SMORabbit4.png|'TBA' NEW DRIVER 551px-Pom pom.png|'Pom Pom' NEW DRIVER Spike - Mario Party 10.png|'Spike' NEW DRIVER Ninji SMR.png|'Ninji' NEW DRIVER WhompSSB4.png|'Whomp' NEW DRIVER Petey Piranha MPSR.png|'Petey Piranha' SMG Queen Bee.png|'Honey Queen' Baby Rosalina MK8.png|'Baby Rosalina' E Gadd Solo LM2.png|'E. Gadd' NEW DRIVER Funky Kong Artwork - Donkey Kong Country Tropical Freeze.png|'Funky Kong' DixieKong.png|'Dixie Kong' NEW DRIVER Captain Toad miner.png|'Captain Toad' NEW DRIVER WingoCaptainToad.png|'Wingo' NEW DRIVER Like its predecessor, Mario Kart 9 also features variations of certain characters; namely Shy Guy, Yoshi, and Metal Mario. Unlike in the aforementioned title however, these alternate costumes must all be unlocked individually, though they still share the same stats, voice clips, and animations of their original counterparts. ACL MK8 Green Shy Guy.png|'Green Shy Guy' ACL MK8 Blue Shy Guy.png|'Blue Shy Guy' ACL MK8 Light Blue Shy Guy.png|'Light Blue Shy Guy' ACL MK8 Yellow Shy Guy.png|'Yellow Shy Guy' ACL MK8 Pink Shy Guy.png|'Pink Shy Guy' ACL MK8 Black Shy Guy.png|'Black Shy Guy' ACL MK8 White Shy Guy.png|'White Shy Guy' ACL MK8 Orange Shy Guy.png|'Orange Shy Guy' ACL MK8 Red Yoshi.png|'Red Yoshi' ACL MK8 Blue Yoshi.png|'Blue Yoshi' ACL MK8 Light Blue Yoshi.png|'Light Blue Yoshi' ACL MK8 Yellow Yoshi.png|'Yellow Yoshi' ACL MK8 Pink Yoshi.png|'Pink Yoshi' ACL MK8 Black Yoshi.png|'Black Yoshi' ACL MK8 White Yoshi.png|'White Yoshi' ACL MK8 Orange Yoshi.png|'Orange Yoshi' MGWT Gold Mario (no club).png|'Gold Mario' Unlock criteria Items Coin NSMB2.png|'Coin' GreenShellMK8.png|'Green Shell' TripleGreenShellsMK8.png|'Triple Green Shells' RedShellMK8.png|'Red Shell' TripleRedShellsMK8.png|'Triple Red Shells' SpinyShellMK8.png|'Spiny Shell' Gold_Shell_Artwork_-_New_Super_Mario_Bros._2.png|'Gold Shell' (races only) MushroomMK8.png|'Mushroom' TripleMushroomMK8.png|'Triple Mushrooms' ACL1UpMushroom.png|'1-Up Mushroom' (Battle Mode only) GoldenMushroomMK8.png|'Golden Mushroom' MTUS Mega Mushroom.png|'Mega Mushroom' (Battle Mode only) Super Leaf NSMB2.png|'Super Leaf' FireFlowerMK8.png|'Fire Flower' BoomerangFlowerMK8.png|'Boomerang Flower' MK8 Deluxe Art - Cape Feather.png|'Cape Feather' (Battle Mode only) StarMK8.png|'Star' POWBlock.png|'POW Block' PottedPiranhaPlantMK8.png|'Potted Piranha Plant' ACLPottedInky.png|' ' BobOmbMK8.png|'Bob-omb' BulletBillMK8.png|'Bullet Bill' TorpedoTed.png|'Torpedo Ted' BlooperMK8.png|'Blooper' BooNSMBWii.png|'Boo' ACLPinkBoo.png|'Red Boo' Amp NSMB2 prima.png|'Amp' SMG2MINE.png|' ' Fake Item Box MKACL.png|'Fake Item Box' BananaMK8.png|'Banana' TripleBananasMK8.png|'Triple Bananas' Turniper.png|' ' SuperHornMK8.png|'Super Horn' LightningBoltMK8.png|'Lightning' Baseball_Artwork_-_Super_Mario_3D_World.png|' ' New Items The is a small orb that sparks with electricity. The Amp acts as a focused, albeit weaker, version of the Lightning item; it shrinks the first racer that touches it before disappearing. The Amp can only be dropped backwards, and the racer that is shrunk by its electricity is done so for a shorter period of time than should they have been struck by the Lightning item. The is a large white ball marked with red stitching; a larger variation of the ball used in the sport of the same name. Similar to a Green Shell, the Baseball will travel directly forwards or backwards when thrown. Unlike the Green Shell, however, the Baseball is affected by the course's layout, meaning it will bounce off bumps or jumps and fall should it be thrown in the air. It will also travel through racers that it hits, barrelling them down. It will bounce off only one wall; should it hit another, it will disappear. The is a very focus projectile attack. The Turnip can be thrown forwards or backwards a very short distance, though it will spin out a racer it hits. Unlike Bananas, which travel in an arc when thrown ahead, the Turnip travels in a straight line, and thus can be aimed directly at other racers easier. The is a spiked explosive that creates a small explosion once a racer hits it. Unlike Bananas or other stationary items, the Floating Mine will remain suspended in midair, allowing racers to place them as obstacles in gliding segments or off specific jumps. The is, as its name implies, a potted variant of the Inky Piranha Plant enemy that first debuted in Super Mario 3D World. Similarly to the Potted Piranha Plant item, the Potted Inky Piranha Plant rides in a pot with wheels attached to its underside in the front of its user's vehicle. Unlike its normal variant, the Potted Inky Piranha Plant does not bite nearby foes, instead spitting globules of ink that blind racers in the same way that a Blooper would; though it will only target racers nearby as opposed to all those ahead of the user. Like the Potted Piranha Plant, the Potted Inky Piranha Plant grants a speed boost to the user whenever it fires a globule of ink, though it will only fire up to three times before disappearing. The is a new item that acts near-identically to the normal Boo item. The Red Boo differs in that it steals the coins of another racer as opposed to their item. The user will still turn invisible and invincible for a short time when used, however, and they will be tinted pink on their screen while under its effects. The is, in most Mario platforming titles, the underwater equivalent of a Bullet Bill. In Mario Kart 9, Torpedo Teds act differently depending on when they are used. If used on land or in the air, the Torpedo Ted acts similarly to a Green Shell, though explodes into a small explosion once it hits a wall, item, or racer. If used underwater however, the Torpedo Ted tracks the racer ahead of its user in a matter similar to a Red Shell, and the explosion is slightly larger. In both cases, the explosion is roughly half the size of the explosion created by a Bob-omb. The is the fourth Koopa Shell variant introduced into the mainstream Mario Kart series. Similarly to a Green Shell, the Gold Shell will travel directly forwards in a single direction, though similarly to a Red Shell, the Gold Shell shatters upon contact with any wall and won't bounce. Though not the most useful for offence, the Gold Shell leaves behind a trail of coins, and will force any racer that is hit by them to drop exactly half of their coins (rounded up, should they have an uneven number). They can only be obtained in races. The appears as a new item exclusively in Battle Mode. In game modes that involve balloons - namely Balloon Battle and Bob-omb Blast - using a 1-Up Mushroom will grant the user another balloon. The 1-Up Mushroom can only be obtained by racers doing poorly in the battle and currently have one or two balloons; the player currently in top-tier positions can not obtain the 1-Up Mushroom unless they were to steal it from an opponent using the Boo. Returning Items Two can be obtained as an item. Coins also appear on the course, and can be collected by making contact with them. The can be thrown forwards or backwards in a straight line, and will ricochet off a few walls before shattering. The shell will also shatter should it hit a racer. Triple Green Shells can also be obtained, which circle the user until they throw them one-at-a-time. The is a stationary item that can be thrown forwards or dropped behind the user. It stays still once placed on the course, and will disappear after a long while or when a racer hits it. Triple Bananas can also be obtained, which circle the user until they throw them one-at-a-time. The can be thrown forwards, and will hone in on the racer in the place ahead of the user, but will shatter should it hit a wall or an item in its way. If thrown backwards, the Red Shell will travel directly backwards, but will also break should it hit an item or wall. Triple Red Shells can also be obtained, which circle the user until they throw them one-at-a-time. The Red Shells' tracking has been improved over the original Mario Kart 8. The allows the user to throw a Boomerang, which travels a set distance and will go through other racers. The user can throw the boomerang three times, as it will return to the user twice. The Boomerang disappears from the user's inventory after being thrown, meaning they can use and obtain other items after each throw. The allows the user to throw a plethora of fireballs at other racers for a short time. The fireballs only travel a short distance before disappearing, and can also bounce off walls. The places a potted Piranha Plant on the front of their vehicle, which bites at nearby foes and items when the user draws near. The user can also press the item button or hold it down to force the Piranha Plant to bite, which also makes its use timer deplete faster. The Piranha Plant has been slightly changed in that the Piranha Plant's timer is shorter. The will, when used, grant the user a temporary speed boost, allowing them to travel off-road with no consequence. Triple Mushrooms can also be obtained, which circle the user until they are used one-at-a-time. A is another variant of the Mushroom item. The Golden Mushroom grants the user an unlimited number of short speed boosts for a short time. The turns the user invisible and make them invincible for a short time, allowing them to travel through items and other racers. The Boo will also steal the item of a random other racer on the course and gift it to its user. After being absent from Mario Kart 8, the makes a return. The item sports a new design, being a mirrored version of the original Item Box but with a duller colour scheme. It can be dropped behind the racer or thrown ahead, but it will not block items when carried behind the racer like a Banana or shell does. The Double Fake Item Box is a new variant of the Fake Item Box item, which acts identically to its original counterpart, though takes the appearance of a Double Item Box (two Item Boxes stacked atop each other). The will grant the user total invincibility, and take control of the user's vehicle for a short amount of time as they are transformed into the Bullet Bill. The transformed racer will barrel down any opponent in their path, and will destroy any items they come in contact with. The Bullet Bill remains in the user's inventory until it ceases and the user is transformed back to normal. The allows the player to create a shockwave around their vehicle that can flip opponents and destroy other items - including the Spiny Shell. The returns to the Mario Kart series after being an item in Mario Kart Wii, though its usage is altered in Mario Kart 9. Instead of forcing all racers ahead of the user into a trick-or-spin-out situation, the POW Block now acts similar to how it does in the Super Smash Bros. series: it can be thrown to create a small shockwave that spins-out all racers within it. It can also be dropped backwards, and will do the same once it is hit by another racer or an item. After being absent from Mario Kart 8, the returns in Mario Kart 9. Like its appearance in Mario Kart 7, the Super Leaf will grant its user a Tanooki tail, which can be used to spin-out nearby racers or destroy nearby items such as Koopa Shells or Bananas. The Tanooki tail can also be used while gliding to give the user a small boost. Similar to the Potted Piranha Plant, the Super Leaf's effects last for a set amount of time, which depletes quicker as it is used. The will spray ink on all of the racers ahead of the user, temporarily covering their screens and lowering their traction. If the Blooper is used by the player in first place, the Blooper will target them instead. The grants the user invincibility for a short time, and also increases their speed to allow them to travel off-road with no consequences. While active, racers can obtain other items, as the Star disappears from their inventory immediately after being used. The will explode a short time after being thrown, or when an item or racer hits it. If it is thrown off-road, the Bob-omb will walk back onto the course, should it be close enough. The causes all racers, apart from the user and those currently under the effects of a Star or Buller Bill, to shrink and drop their items. If racers are holding items behind them, or should they have triple items orbiting their vehicle, the items will be dropped onto the course after they shrink. While shrunk, all racers are much slower, and can be flattened by others who are their normal sizes. Racers will return to normal size in backwards order from when the Lightning was used, with the racer in twelfth place being afflicted for much less time than the racer in first. The is a deadly item that hones in on the racer currently in first place, exploding upon them oce it reaches them. As the Spiny Shell also travels along the ground, it may also barrel down any other racer in its path to the first place racer. The racer that is being targeted by the Spiny Shell may destroy it by using a Super Horn, or can avoid it by being invincible (either by a Star or Bullet Bill) or by timing the use of a Mushroom correctly. After making an appearance in Mario Kart Wii, the makes a reappearance as an item in the series; this time however, it can only be obtained in Battle Mode. The Mega Mushroom makes the user grow to a large size, allowing them to flatten any racer they drive into. As they are a larger size, they are also granted a speed boost and can knock away certain obstacles. The giant racer is also unaffected by off-road terrain, meaning they travel at their normal speed even across grass. The returns from Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, and is once again exclusive to Battle Mode. Once used, the user is propelled into the air (allowing them to jump over shorter walls, other racers, and items) and they are granted a boost when they land. Vehicle Parts There are three types of vehicle parts: tires, bodies, and gliders. In addition to these three types of parts, there are four different types of vehicle types that are defined by their body types: karts, outside-drift (OD) motorbikes, inside-drift (ID) motorbikes, and ATVs. Some body types change colour depending on the character that is using it; some additional bodies will change only should certain characters use them. Some parts must be unlocked before they can be used. Parts can be unlocked by collecting coins, with a random unlockable part becoming usable when the player's cumulative number of coins reaches a certain amount; every 50 coins up until the player collects 1000 coins, then a part is unlocked for every 100 coins collected. There do exist some exceptions to this, namely the three Gold vehicle pieces - the Gold Tires, Gold Standard, and Gold Glider. These three Gold vehicle pieces are unlocked simultaneously by obtaining a 3-star ranking on all cups across all engine classes. The stats of each vehicle are determined using the same base set of values as Mario Kart 8, and thus the stats for the Standard Kart, Standard Tires, and Super Glider (shown below) are identical. Just as in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, point values for the stats can range from 0.75 to 5.75. The base set of stats used by the Standard Kart, Standard Tires, and Super Glider are lifted from Mario Wiki's page on . Several vehicles return from previous Mario Kart games, while many new vehicle parts have also been added. Most of the vehicle parts featured in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe return, and feature their stat adjustments from that game. Returning parts New parts Gallery ACL-Mario_Kart_Switch.png|Original logo, for "Mario Kart Switch" ACL-Mario Kart 9 logo.png|Final English logo Trivia * The game was originally known as "Mario Kart Switch". Category:Games Category:Mario Kart Games Category:Mario Games Category:Racing Games Category:Nintendo Switch Games